1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to decorative lighting, and more particularly, to apparatus for supporting and maintaining decorative lighting on a substantially planar surface. One aspect of the invention relates to a decorative light pedestal adapted to receive and support at least the socket portion of a decorative bulb and socket assembly connected to a decorative light string. Another aspect of the invention relates to a decorative light pedestal having a closure adapted to maintain a decorative socket or decorative bulb and socket assembly inside the pedestal mount, and being releasable to remove the decorative socket or decorative bulb and socket assembly from the pedestal mount without disengaging the closure from a support surface to which it is attached.
2. Background Art
The use of ornamental lighting in decorating for holidays and other special occasions is well-known. Ornamental lighting is also useful in marketing displays and for creating special effects in commercial establishments. Strings of decorative lights comprising, for example, twenty-five, fifty or one hundred individual sockets are typically wired together with strands of insulated, small-diameter wire to which a plug or plugs are attached at one or both ends to facilitate connection to an electrical energy source to another strand of lights. Clear or colored bulbs are inserted into the sockets to provide the desired lighting effect.
Problems have been encountered where the desired decorative lighting scheme requires the attachment of decorative light strings to a substantially planar support surface. Some have previously sought to overcome this problem by adapting decorative light holders to be maintained on a substantially planar support surface by screw-type fasteners, nails, or the like. Such holders can damage the support surface and may not be adapted to maintain the decorative bulb and socket assemblies in a preferred alignment with respect to the support surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,209, Applicant has previously disclosed a decorative light pedestal comprising a base member having a substantially planar mounting surface, a circumferential socket support member extending outwardly from the base member opposite the mounting surface, and an adhesive means adapted to bond the mounting surface of the pedestal to a support surface. With the decorative light pedestal disclosed in that patent, however, it is necessary to completely disengage the decorative light pedestal from the underlying support surface in order to remove the decorative bulb and socket assembly. Where the decorative light pedestal is secured to the support surface by means of an adhesive pad, disengaging the light pedestal for the purpose of removing the decorative bulb and socket assembly to change a bulb, for example, has necessitated replacing the adhesive pad in order to reattach the decorative light pedestal to the support surface. Accordingly, a decorative light pedestal is needed that is adapted in such manner that the decorative bulb and socket assembly can be removed therefrom without completely disengaging the decorative light pedestal from the support surface and thereby requiring replacement of the adhesive means.